Whispers are blowing out of the Great Plains like the Black Blizzard of the 1930s, and -- if what they are saying is true -- the Oklahoma Sooners offense could be blinding.

After installing a no-huddle offense this spring to complement Sam Bradford, the nation's most efficient quarterback, the third-ranked Sooners are leaving opponents in a cloud of dust.

Some of the whispers ahead of Oklahoma's game against Washington on Saturday afternoon:

Sooners offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson to the International Herald-Tribune: "This is the first year we've made as much commitment to try to do (the no-huddle) maybe all the time. We'll see how it keeps going. It is a little bit like a fast break ..."

Gary Parrish of CBS: "This Oklahoma offense is something serious -- a fast-paced, no-huddle attack that might go down as the best OU offense in history, which is saying something considering OU has a ton of history."

Rivals.com's Olin Buchanan: "What underscored the impact of OU's offense is that it dictated what Cincinnati's offense would do. That's right, Cincinnati's offense. Keep in mind, the Bearcats are not chopped liver. Cincinnati finished 10-3 last season with victories over teams like Rutgers, Connecticut and South Florida."

In their first two games, blowouts victories against Tennessee-Chattanooga and Cincinnati, the Sooners amassed 109 points and 1,079 yards.

"I like fact that we're productive running and throwing the ball," coach Bob Stoops said. "I'm not as concerned about the pace as much as I am with scoring points, moving the ball and changing field position -- and resting the defense. We've been able to do all of that at different times in the game."

For the Sooners' hosts this week -- Washington's 0-2 Huskies -- keeping up will be a monumental task for a team suffering growing pains and trying to get over communication hurdles.

"I think (the no-huddle) adds to the mental pressure, no question about it," Washington defensive coordinator Ed Donatell said. "(Oklahoma) does that, too. They roll. They go. They have about as nice a tempo as you see."

The Huskies defense finished last year on a sour note, and the firing of previous coordinator Kent Baer was as predictable as it was inevitable. Yet Donatell's group has done worse, allowing an average of 485.5 yards through the first two games.

But with seven first-year starters -- and just three upperclassmen in the starting 11 -- that shouldn't be a surprise, considering the UW has faced offensive machines Oregon and BYU.

Donatell has experimented with alignments -- the 4-3, the 3-4 and even a 3-3-5. He has dabbled with personnel, getting 26 players into action. That number will likely grow by one Saturday when freshman Johri Fogerson gets on the field at safety.

"Our thing is, think players then plays. We're just trying to get guys on the football field," Donatell said.

"We're at a place where we'd like to spread out the workload a little bit. There are signs with those two opponents -- they are two totally different kinds of games -- that we still have some polishing up to do, but it's not 100 miles away."

The Sooners present immediate problems to Donatell:

Three offensive linemen likely to be drafted against a unit that has yet to record a sack

Two large, physical running backs against a unit that has allowed 393 rushing yards

Tight ends and receivers who will play in the NFL

A quarterback who might be better than the ones that have passed for 578 yards and six touchdown against the Huskies this season

An exhausting, confusing pace.

Defensive end Darrion Jones, a junior who'll be making his third career start, said the Huskies have to communicate on the run.

"The no-huddle, it sends you in a frenzy," Jones said. "After a play's over, you have no time to react on and say, 'OK, that happened,' because they're back on the line. Then you're scrambling to get your signals, calls, make your checks. It forces you to play the game faster. That's where your film study comes into play because you have to see what they're doing just as fast as you get lined up."

Thus, the Huskies are making extra trips to the film room.

Oklahoma's system also forces disruptions in personnel.

Chris Stevens, a 218-pound linebacker, lines up as a down lineman on third downs or exclusively to rush the quarterback. The no-huddle can often leave a player like Stevens out of position on the next play because there's no time for a substitution.

"Say they convert a third down and I'm in on a first-and-10 and I'm down at end in more of a run-type situation," Stevens said. "That's a mismatch, probably, but it means I have to hold strong."

When that happens, communication becomes even more imperative.

"We're practicing that in practice. We just have to communicate -- verbal and hand signals," he said.

"We've got a vision of what the Husky standard is, and we're working towards it. We're not there. There's no doubt that all of our energy is (going) toward that, and sometimes there's a little bit of a process, and it doesn't feel good until you start seeing some of the fruits of your work," Donatell said.

But the fact Oklahoma brings with it such serious growth-stunting potential isn't swaying Donatell.

"Our guys are up for a challenge with this group coming in," he said.

"You start with the motto: You always have a chance in Husky Stadium with its tradition, and its crowd, and the city and what it means to play in there, and that crowd comes out and supports us. History tells you, you can always win a game in there. That's the way we're looking at this thing."

Then again, if sports books' predictions of a 20-point thrashing come to fruition, Donatell could be looking at a great migration from Husky Stadium before the final buzzer.

POLK SURGERY: Tailback Chris Polk will undergo surgery next week to repair a torn labrum, UW coach Tyrone Willingham said. The true freshman running back will apply for a medical redshirt to preserve the year of eligibility. Polk started the Huskies' first two games, rushing for 33 yards on 20 carries.